February 3, 2008
Rev. Terry D. Campbell
Transfiguration Sunday/Holy Communion

The Day Jesus Glowed
Luke 9:28-36

“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰Two men, Moses and Elijah, ³¹appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³²Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’ ³⁶When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.”

Jesus was on a roll!  He has been doing miracle after miracle and attracting more and more people.  He has raised the dead, healed the sick, and feed the 5000 with only five loaves and two fishes.  His popularity is on the rise.  In fact, Jesus asks the disciple who people say that He is.  They listed some famous and popular names.  Peter, who has seen ALL the miracles Jesus did, even says that Jesus is God’s Messiah.

But with the success comes a temptation—to grab for human success and leave behind God’s way for the salvation of the world.  It was tempting.  So Jesus begins talking with the disciples about His impending crucifixion.  For further affirmation and encouragement to follow God’s plan, Jesus takes His inner circle aside to a mountain top retreat and has a special time of prayer.  Out of that prayer time:

I.  God affirmed Jesus’ path to the cross.

Jesus went to pray and was both affirmed and empowered for what was to come.  Isn’t it interesting that Jesus is praying about salvation, and the disciples are sleeping.  There was urgent work of the Kingdom of God to be done and it’s like the disciple were saying, “We’ve got time—we’ll sleep now.  We can always pray later.”  Jesus had already told them they needed to pick up their cross daily and follow Him.  Yet they slept while Jesus went on alone.  Are we sleeping while “Rome” burns?  While Jesus is forced to go on without us?

As Jesus prayed, the Transfiguration put the spotlight on what Jesus was doing.  Moses, the great Lawgiver and Elijah the symbol of all the prophets talk about Jesus’ coming death and resurrection in Jerusalem.  They brought affirmation to Jesus and reminded Him of the necessity of the cross in forgiveness and salvation.  The way of salvation is through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross.

Leviticus 17:11-“For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”  Life for life.

Hebrews 9:22-“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Don’t avoid or put down the crucifixion of Jesus as the way to forgiveness and salvation.  Some seminary students, when I was in seminary, would laugh about the crucifixion, with its blood and violence.  They called it “slaughter house religion and said, “It is silly to think that God would require it,” they would smirk.  But God says it is the source of salvation—take it seriously.

1 Cor. 11:28-32-“²⁸A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.”  Work on repenting and changing what God shows you.  It will give you a better life.

II.  God affirmed Jesus’ supremacy.

More than affirming the method of salvation, the Transfiguration puts the spotlight on who Jesus is.  This is God, doing God’s salvation thing!  The most revered Jewish lawgiver was there and so was the epitome of all the prophets.  But when the cloud raised, the only one left standing was Jesus.  He is the answer to the future.   Not a lawgiver, not a preacher, but the one and only God Himself making salvation possible by His own self-sacrifice—Jesus of Nazareth!

Let the word go forth:  “Jesus is the One and only to honor with worship and obedience.”  His is the Name above all other names.  His name is salvation and hope.

In Revelation we see that only Jesus can unlock the future.  Rev. 5:2-12-“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ . . .

¹¹Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹²In a loud voice they sang:  ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive poor and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’”

Honor Jesus as THE supreme Being.  Submit your will and actions to Him.

III.  God affirmed the Jesus-lifestyle.

The Transfiguration puts the spotlight on obeying Jesus.  The heavens thundered forth, “Listen to Him!”  “Do what He tells you to do!”  It doesn’t get much clearer than that.

Jesus didn’t answer the disciple’s question about building memorial tents on the mountain.  By that He was saying, “No shelters, we’re not staying.  Don’t plan to camp, prepare to march.  We’re going back to serve God by meeting needs in the world.”

Building memorial shelters is easier than listening to and obeying Jesus’ voice.  Doing what people are use to doing is always easier.  Let’s stay here where we can have our goose bumps raised and we don’t have to risk dealing with scary people.  We can easily see our progress building buildings and it is relative easy to do.  Ministry isn’t quite so simple . . . but it is our call from God!

Ephesians 5:1-2-“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ²and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Philippians 2:5-“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

1 John 2:6-“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

1 John 3:16 -“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

What will you do now?

The book, In His Steps, is about the challenge to live asking, “What would Jesus do,” and then honestly follow through with that in your life.  Listen to the voice from heaven that says, “Listen to Jesus so you obey Him.”  Are you?  Are you acknowledging Jesus’ Lordship by how you live?  Are you grateful for His death in your place to give you salvation?  Will you seek His forgiveness for your failures and His power to live in His steps?  Open yourself to Him in Holy Communion.  Amen.

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